(DISCLAIMER: While this contains mainly
anime/game/net otaku lingo, it also includes a handful of general terms
privy to common Japanese folks. The primary purpose of this page is to
serve as a one-stop glossary for related words that I might use within
the blog proper. If you need more detailed information, Google and Wikipedia should become your very best friends.)
*＼(^o^)／- An emote signifying "the end" (おわた, owata). First seen in 2chan but the association was made concrete by the popular but maddeningly difficult flash game called "Jinsei Owata No Daibouken".
*33-4 - A widely used net gag sourced from the collective results of the 2005 Japan Series baseball matches between the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Hanshin Tigers. Hanshin lost several games to Lotte, often by a wide margin.
10－0
10－1
10－1
3－2
It has since become a traumatic event among Hanshin Tigers fans around.
*8888 - Japanese netspeak equivalent for applause, derived from the onomatopoeia "pachi-pachi" (8 is pronounced as "hachi", but they sound close enough).
*Aa-! (アッー！) - a manly scream supposedly heard during male-on-male sexual intercourse. The actual source however is the infamous video of Billy Herrington and a sparring partner in the middle of a wrestling practice match where both men eventually strip each other down to their underwear and beyond.
*Ahe-gao (アヘ顔) - A face characterized by eyes looking up and tongue sticking out. Essentially an expression of female orgasm as depicted in erotic adult manga from the 90's up to the present.
*Anime (アニメ) - Shortened term for animation. In Japan, this refers to any kind of animation, while overseas, it's association is limited to just the Japanese-made ones.
*@Pizza (@ピザ) - Japanese netspeak description for a "hefty" person, with the single-minded assumption that pizza is their favorite food.
*Boke (ボケ) - A component character of a Manzai comedy act whose role is to spout erroneous words/statements.
*BBA - Netspeak shorthand for old hag (ばばあ, babaa). Considered rude and can serve as grounds for a sexual harassment charge.
*Chuunibyou (中二病) - Literally "Second-year Middle School Syndrome" . A youngster unable to soundly handle social interactions creates a fantasy facade (either self-made or based on favored media) to serve as a defense mechanism.
*Comiket (コミケット) - Comic Market. A large-scale event in Japan held twice a year (August and December) at the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center in Ariake where doujinshi circles sell their works.
*Cosplay (コスプレ) - Portmanteau of "Costume Play". A practice where fans dress up and act like their favorite characters.
*Deochi (出オチ) - A punchline made at the very start of a program, serving as an ambush joke to catch the audience off-guard.
*Do-M (ドM) - Slang term for "Super Masochist".
*Do-S (ドS) - Slang term for "Super Sadist".
*Doya-gao (ドヤ顔) - A face brimming with (over)confidence. Stems from the expression "doya?" (どや？) or how's this?
*Doujinshi (同人誌) - Fan-made work that involves using established anime/manga/game characters. Most doujinshi incorporate sexual storylines.
*DQN - Another pejorative term for an idiot, especially those of the aggressive anti-social delinquent variety.
*Enko (えんこ) - Shortened term for Enjo Kosai or "compensated dating". A practice where a girl accompanies an older man in exchange for money or designer goods. Sexual favors may or may not be part of the equation.
*Flag (フラグ) - A galge term denoting a factor/path leading towards a specific (character's) ending.
*Freeter (フリーター) - A part-timer. Unlike the usual part-timers, Freeters are primarily individuals having already completed all levels of education but refuse to get a full-time job.
*Fujoshi (腐女子) - Pejorative slang for female otaku, particularly those who are hopelessly enamored with the BL/yaoi genre.
*Gaijin (外人) - A lazily-used form of gaikokujin (外国人). It's considered rude because dropping the koku (国, country) character makes the term literally mean "outsider" instead of "foreigner".
*Galge (ギャルゲー) - Visual Novel, known in Japanese general definitions as "Adventure Games" since romance is sometimes termed as bouken (冒険). Often used for titles that involve two or more girls that the player can choose to be romantically involved with. Such games with erotic content are also called eroge.
*ggrks (ググれ、かす！) - Japanese netspeak shorthand for "Gugure, kasu!" or "Google it, dummy!"
*gkbr (ガクガクブルブル) - Japanese netspeak shorthand for the onomatopoeia of "shaking", often in fear.
*Gorioshi (ゴリ押し) - Literally "Gorilla Press". Something that is done by force. In games, it usually involves rush and attack actions with nary a plan.
*Hentai (変態) - A genre that includes illustrated or animated depiction of sexual acts, fetishes, and other related things. Also used to describe a perverted/oddball individual. Shortened form is "H" or ecchi.
*Hikkikomori (引き籠もり) - A person who regularly isolates himself/herself from society.
*Hour (アワー) - A segment or skit in Japanese programs which actually only lasts about 4 to 6 minutes, deviating from the original English term.
*Ikemen (イケメン) - Kogal slang-derived term referring to a cool/attractive guy.
*-ita - A practice where a fan decorates any possession (ranging from electronic devices to cars) with a skin that ties in to his/her favorite anime/game characters or series.
*Jirai (地雷) -Landmine. When taken in a certain context, this can also refer to a touchy subject that is best not brought up in conversation.
*JK - Japanese netspeak for joshikousei (女子校生) or Female HS Student. Variants for Elementary (JS) and Junior High (JC) are used as well.
*jk - Japanese netspeak shorthand for joushiki teki ni kangaete (常識的に考えて) or "...when you think about it using common sense." Can also mean joudan wa kao dake ni shiro yo (冗談は顔だけにしろよ) or "cut the nonsense".
*Kansuto (カンスト) - Shorthand for "counter-stop". In games, this refers to reaching the maximum limit of a character's experience level/damage dealt in RPGs, or a high score counter which no longer moves. Common numbers are multiples of 9, 50 or 255.
*Keiren Renda (痙攣連打) - An unorthodox gaming technique where button-mashing speed is increased via self-induced muscle cramps.
*ktkr - Japanese netspeak equivalent for "It's here!" (キタこれ!, kita kore!)
*Kuro Rekishi (黒歴史) - Dark history. A term originating from the Turn A Gundam series referring to the One Year War. In real life, this is used for embarrassing events and failures that a person would want to bury away for good as if it never actually happened.
*Kusoge (くそゲー) - A game that possesses a handful of totally detestable qualities. (nigh-impossible difficulty, vague objectives, multiple annoyances, poor production value, etc.) Since 2005, there as been an annual online user-run awards feature called KOTY (Kusoge Of The Year), where contemporary games are nominated and narrowed down to be given the unflattering title of "Shittiest Of Them All".
*kwsk - Japanese netspeak for "Details" (詳しく, kuwashiku)
*ky - Japanese netspeak for "read the mood" (空気読め, kuuki yome) Often used to berate a person who seems detached from reality, especially regarding social interactions.
*Lolicon (ロリコン) - Portmanteau of "Lolita Complex", which describes an individual's tendency to become attracted to/sexually aroused by a prepubescent girl.
*Lou-Go (ルー語) - Tracing it's origins from comedian Lou Ooshiba, It's a practice of needlessly inserting English words in spoken Japanese to sound classy.
*m9 - An ASCII symbol of a pointing finger, used by Japanese netizens as a substitute to directly saying ざまを見ろ! (serves you right!)
*Makaizou (魔改造) - Literally "Demon Mod" . An underground practice where a character figure is altered to show "more skin" and then some.
*Manga (漫画) - Comics. Japanese-style comics are usually of the black-and-white variety, and adopt a typical story or 4-koma strip format initially serialized in a weekly/monthly magazine, then republished as stand-alone tankoubons.
*Manzai (漫才) - A popular two-man stand-up comedy act originating from the Kansai region.
*Mobage (モバゲー) - Cellphone/Smartphone games.
*Moe (萌え) - Slang for charm point or turn-on. Oftentimes described as an obsessive admiration or even sexual fetish derived from a girl's conspicuously charming/unorthodox characteristics. (i.e. Clumsy Girl = Dojikko Moe)
*Naka no Hito (中の人) - A pedestrian term for voice actors/actresses, looseley terming them as the person behind the character.
*Netoge (ネトゲー) - Net Games/Online Games/MMO.
*NEET - Not In Education, Employment or Training. Since most of these individuals people loll about in their homes all the live long day, they are also given the moniker Jitaku Keibiin (自宅警備員, Own-home Security Personnel).
*Netabare (ネタバレ) - Spoilers.
*Newtype (ニュータイプ) - A term from the first Gundam series referring to an individual with physical/sensory traits that have evolved to superior levels, usually found among those living in space colonies.
*Nihongo De OK (日本語でおk) - The average Japanese netizen's catchphrase used on people who seem like they're talking in a different language or just plain gibberish. Serves as a somewhat more civil equivalent to the American netizens' own "English, m**********r! do you speak it!?"
*NKT (長く苦しい戦いだった...) -Japanese netspeak shorthand for nagaku kurushii tatakai datta... or "it was a long, hard-fought battle..."
*NTR (寝取られ) - A media genre focusing on couples (either in a relationship or married) being separated from each other in the worst way possible, with the perpetrator/s arranging everything so the chances of the broken couple getting back together are close to nil.
*Omake (おまけ)- Extras. Bonus features added in anime/manga/games for fanservice, such as illustration galleries, music clips, etc.
*Oppai (おっぱい) - Slang term for breasts. Extremely large breasts are often referred to as bakunyuu (爆乳),
*Orz - Not to be read as letters, this is an ASCII emote depicting a kneeling person in a state of weariness or defeat.
*Otaku (オタク) - Someone who is into one particular subject or hobby to the point of obsession. Outside of Japan, it is a stand-alone word often used to label anime/manga fans.
*Otoge (音ゲー) - Music/rhythm games.
*Otome (乙女/オトメ) - Literally maiden, Otome games are a girls' version of a galge. The player can choose from a number of boys to be romantically involved with in the game.
*Otome Road (オトメロード) - A street in Ikebukuro lined with specialty shops that cater to BL/yaoi/otome game fans. Often loosely referred to as "Fujoshi Street".
*Owakari Itadaketadarouka? (お分かり頂けただろうか？) - A cryptic usage of "can you possibly comprehend?" often used by narrators in ghost/paranormal documentaries.
*Owata Shiki (オワタ式) - Literally "Type-End". A self-imposed challenge where a game featuring a life meter is modified, making the player character die if hit once by any enemy.
*Oyaji Gag (おやじギャグ) - Literally "Geezer Joke", it's usually a not-so-funny pun made on the spot by old men who want to elicit a quick laugh.
*Pantsu (パンツ) - Underwear. The slang term for fanservice panty shot is panchira.
*Ranobe (ラノベ) - Light novel. These books are usually written with secondary education-level Japanese vocabulary and often include the occasional insert artwork.
*Rea-Juu (リア充) - Shortened form of "real no seikatsu ga juujitsu shiteiru hito" (リアルの生活が充実している人) or someone with a fulfilled social/romantic life. Jealous misfits often mark them with a"may you blow up and die" curse. (リア充爆発しろ！, Rea-Juu bakuhatsu shiro!)
*Ronin (浪人) - Originally a term for masterless samurai, this is now used for unemployed folks or university entrance examinees who are biding their time for a retake after an initial flunk.
*Seinen (成年) - A medium whose target demographic is usually adults.
*Seiyuu (声優) - Voice actor/actress.
*Shimoneta (下ネタ) - Swear words.
*Shonen (少年) - A medium whose target demographic is usually young boys.
*Shoujo (少女) - A medium whose target demographic is usually young girls.
*Shotacon (ショタコン) - Portmanteau of "Shotaro Complex" (taken from the name of the main character in the anime Tetsujin 28-Go) which describes an individual's tendency to become attracted to/sexually aroused by a prepubescent boy.
*Suppin (すっぴん) - Literally "bare". Often used to refer to girls who have no makeup on.
*Surre (シュール) - A shortened form of "surreal".
*Through (スルー) - Used in the Japanese context, it means to "pass through" or "ignore" something or someone. In video games, the ability to proficiently ignore obstacles is called a "Through Skill" (スルースキル).
*Time Renda (タイム連打) - An unorthodox gaming technique where a player pauses and unpauses rapidly, practically slowing down the in-game movement.
*Tsumige (積みゲー) - A purchased game that was never played/played for a while but put in the backburner by the owner.
*Tsuujou No Sanbai (通常の3倍) - Literally "3 times better than normal". A term in the Gundam series originally referring to the mobile suits piloted by the iconic Char Aznable, usually sporting a crimson color scheme and tuned for faster response time as per his specifications.
*Tsukkomi (突っ込み) - A component character of a Manzai comedy act whose role is to correct the boke and administer light to heavy physical abuse.
*Tsundere (ツンデレ) - A personality stereotype where a girl who is ostensibly confrontational is actually affectionate deep inside.
*Tsurupettanko (つるぺったん子) - Literally "flat and smooth". A slang term used to loosely describe a flat-chested girl. Tsuru can be omitted but the meaning more or less remains the same.
*uP (うp) - Japanese netspeak term for "up". Commonly used for both "level up" and "uploaded".
*uPotsu (うpおつ, うぽつ, うp乙) - A Japanese netspeak portmanteau of "up" and "otsukaresama" (the hard work is appreciated). Often seen in Nico Nico Douga Videos.
*Vocaloid (ボーカロイド) - A computer program created by Yamaha and Crypton Future Media that allows up and coming composers to incorporate a virtual singer's voice to render their works. Ever since it's popularity boomed, latter Vocaloid programs emerged with character avatars, and some of these characters (especially the iconic Miku Hatsune) are now treated like pop idols. The latest indie Vocaloid compositions are often found in Nico Nico Douga.
*ww - Japanese netspeak equivalent of "lol". The root word is "warau" (笑う).
*wakotsu (わこつ) - A shortened Japanese netspeak term for "wakutori otsukaresama" (枠 取りお疲れ様, The effort for the live feed is appreciated). Often used by Nico Live Broadcast audence users as a greeting for the broadcast user.
*wktk - Japanese netspeak originating from 2chan exhibiting impatient anticipation. The root words are "wakuwaku" (ワクワク) meaning excitement and "tekateka" (テカテカ) or fidgeting.
*Yandere (ヤンデレ) - A personality stereotype where a girl who is ostensibly affectionate is actually psychotic and oftentimes violent.
*Yaoi (やおい) - A genre of guy-on-guy relationships. Also known as "Boy's Love" (BL), with a variant that involves muscular men in similar (or more extreme) situations called Bara.
*Yuri (百合) - A genre of girl-on-girl relationships. Also known as "Girl's Love" (GL).
